The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, December 03, 2004, Page 9, Image 9
GAME SCHEDULE
o WOMEN’S AND MEN’S SWIMMING at Auburn Invitational,TBA
ra5e v , WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Clemson, 7 p.m.
Friday, December 3, 2004 MEN'S BASKETBALL vs. Clemson, 7:30 p.m.
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KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK
Junior Tarence Kinsey shoots over an Appalachian State defender
in the Gamecocks’ 91-57 victory. Kinsey had 19 points in the win.
Kinsey leads Gamecock attack
to blowout victory over ASU
By STEPHEN FASTENAU
STAFF WRITER
USC head coach Dave Odom said on
Wednesday that junior guard Tarence
Kinsey spent all week in practice
perfecting his jump shot. The hard work
paid off as Kinsey scored 19 points —
two points shy of his career high — as
the Gamecocks routed Appalachian
State on Wednesday, 91-57.
Carlos Powell added 15 points for
USC, as the Gamecocks improved their
record to 4-0 going into Saturday’s game
against Clemson.
*Every day after practice I say things
like, ‘If you need some extra shooting see
(the coaches),’’’Odom said. “(Kinsey)
stayed all week long extra. Those guys
that seize the opportunity, you’re really
pleased with them for that.”
The Mountaineers kept the game
fairly close up until the end of the first
half. After starting 2-of-ll shooting,
ASU pulled within five points twice and
once within four. ASU’s fiill-court
pressure in the first half gave USC
problems, causing Odom to call
multiple timeouts.
“Like any team early in the season,
we lost our concentration and ended up
giving up two or three lay-ups,” Odom
said. “That absolutely ignites me.”
With 5:28 remaining in the first half,
USC clung to a 22-17 lead. ASU cut the
lead to just four at 25-21 with only 2:48
remaining in the half. The Gamecocks
then went on an 11-2 run to give them a
36-23 lead at halftime.
The run was capped by the most
spectacular play of the night.
Sophomore Renaldo Balkman stole an
errant Mountaineer pass at midcourt
and tipped the ball to teammate Josh
Gonner as Balkman fell out of bounds.
Gonner then whipped a quick pass
around his back to Brandon Wallace,
who found Balkman cutting from the
outside for a thunderous dunk. The play
received national recognition, being
featured as the number 10 play in
“There were just guys
open that had a better
shot than me, so I
passed the ball to
them.”
TARENCE KINSEY
JUNIOR GUARD
Thursday morning’s “SportsCenter” top
10.
Fifteen of Kinsey’s 19 points came in
the first half on 5-of-7 shooting. The
junior’s output was limited in the
second half because of his unselfish
passing and decreased playing time as
USC enjoyed a comfortable lead.
“(Kinsey) probably couldn’t tell you
what his career high is,” Odom said. “I
couldn’t.”
Kinsey’s memory was evidently
better than Odom thought.
“I knew that,” Kinsey said. “I didn’t
want to make like it seem I was trying to
get (a career high). There were just guys
open that had a better shot than me, so 1
passed the ball to them.”
Reserves stepped in and saw
significant playing time in the second
half. All but one USC player scored.
John Land saw playing time with about
a minute remaining in the game after
“We want Jon Land” tang from the
student sections, but his lone three
pointer was off the mark.
Junior college transfer Antoine
Tisby was a main contributor in the
second half. The 6-foot-8-inch center
was able to do damage inside, scoring
12 of his 13 points in the second half.
Tisby went to the free-throw line often,
going 7-of-10 from the line for the
night.
ASU center Chris McFarland, a
player Odom once attempted to recruit,
finished with 17 points. He was the only
Mountaineer in double digits for the
game.
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Basketball to face top-20 teams
Kansas, Kentucky during break
■ Gamecocks to face
non-SEC opponents
in hostile arenas
By STEPHEN FASTENAU
STAFF WRITER
While most will soon be heading
home for the holidays, the USC men’s
basketball team will most definitely
not be. The Gamecocks will hit the
road for a vigorous non-conference
schedule that includes games at
Kansas, Pittsburgh and Kentucky —
each of which are ranked in the top
fifteen nationally. •
USC (4-0, 0-0) will start on a lighter
note. Clemson will be in town Saturday
to face the Gamecocks at the Colonial
Center. Dave Odom’s team will be
coming off a fresh 91-57 rout of
Appalachian State. The Tigers are 4-1
and coming off an 8-point win against
Ohio State in the ACC/Big 12
; Challenge.
The Gamecocks’ main goal will be
trying to keep from looking ahead to
what they will face next. Following the
Clemson game, USC will take on South
Florida before traveling to Lawrenceville
on Dec. 18 to battle with the No. 2
Kansas Jayhawks.
South Florida is one of .a few
weaker teams USC will take on over
the break.
The Bulls, a member of Conference
USA, are 4-1 after suffering their first
loss to the Richmond Spiders on
Wednesday night. USF is an
experienced squad, with its 15-man
roster consisting of nine
upperclassmen.
Kansas has won its past two games by
a combined 73 points behind the play of
early player-of-the-year candidate
Wayne Simien. The 6-foot-9-inch
senior is averaging a double-double with
19.7 .points and 12.3 rebounds per
game.
USC will try and contain the star
with help from Carlos Powell and
Antoine Tisby inside.
The Gamecocks then have two games
during the week before Christmas. USC
will match up against East Carolina (4
2) in a special meeting in Mobile.
Alabama before returning home to
square off with in-state foe S.C. State (4
1).
The Bulldogs are coming off a win
against Miami (FI) and also boast a win
against Penn State.
USC goes on the road again Dec. 29
to play No. 14 Pittsburgh. The
Panthers will be another tough test for
Odom’s Gamecocks. Pittsburgh is 4-0,
playing a relatively light non-conference
I schedule in which they have beaten
teams by an average of more than 27
points.
Six-foot-7-inch, senior forward
Chevon Troutman, who is averaging 17
points and nine rebounds per game,
leads the Panthers.
Division I-AA Wofford visits the
Colonial Center on New Year’s Eve.
1 he I erriers are 3-2 with close losses
against Iennessee and Miami (Fla.).
The third and final major contest
USC will face over the break will also
be its conference opener. The
Gamecocks face SEC foe Kentucky on
Jan. 5 in Lexington. The ijtefending
SEC I ournament champion Wildcats
wilWio^iavtMiad an easy run prior to
facing USC.
Kentucky will have played
nationally ranked North Carolina
and Louisville before its tilt with the
Gamecocks. USC will face yet
another prominent big man in
returning senior Chuck Hayes. The
6-foot-6-inch Hayes is putting up 14 i
points and 11 rebounds a game this
season.
USC’s then gets into the swing of its
conference schedule, with games against
Georgia, LSU and Tennessee before
taking on nationally ranked Mississippi
State on the road Jan. 22.
-v
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KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK
Senior guard Josh Gonner dunks in the first half of Wednesday's win over Appalachian State. Gonner
and USC will face three top-20 opponents over the students’ winter bteak, two of which are on the road.
WINTER BREAK
. GAME SCHEDULE
Dec. 14 —vs. South Florida, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 18 — at Kansas, 8 p.m.
Dec. 20 — at East Carolina, 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 22 — vs. SC State, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 29 — at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Dec. 31— vs. Wofford, 6 p.m.
Jan. 5 — at Kentucky, 8 p.m.
Dec. 8 — vs. Georgia, 8 p.m.
NICK ESARES/THE GAMECOCK
Sophomore forward Larissa Kulscar fends off a Charlotte
defender in USC’s recent loss to the 49ers. Carolina is 1-4.
Women's hoops
to face 10 teams
in crucial games
■ USC to attempt
to reboundfrom
disappointing start
By STEPHEN DEMEDIS
STAFF WRITER
The USC women’s basketball team
will look to rebound from its 1 -4 start
in 10 games scheduled during winter
break. The team will play three games
on the road and start SEC play before
spring semester begins.
The Gamecocks will open the 10
game stretch at home against Florida
A&M on Dec. 14. Carolina defeated
A&M last year early in the season, 96
66. This year the Rattlers are 1-2.
Two days later, the N.C. State
Wolfpack will come to town to take
on the Gamecocks. State is off to an
impressive 3-1 start after its latest win
over Louisville. The Wolfpack’s only
loss on the season came against
Tennessee by just 10 points.
The Gamecocks will go on the road
for the second time this season when
they travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn., to
play Middle Tennessee State on Dec.
18. The Blue Raiders will be aided by
the expected return of senior Stephany
omith, who has been sidelined by
injuries. MTSU is 4-3 on the year.
Carolina will enjoy a four-game
home stand when it returns from
Tennessee. Before breaking for
Christmas, the team will face
Birmingham Southern on Dec. 20 and
S.C. State on Dec. 22. The Bulldogs
are 2-2 after losing close games to
Pittsburgh and Savannah State.
On-Dec. 30, the team will host the
USC Tournamept Championship,
including Carolina, Campbell, Coastal
Carolina and Seton Hall. USC is
slotted to play Coastal in the first
game. If they beat the Chanticleers, the
Gamecocks will play the winner of the
Campbell and Seton Hall game. Last
year, Carolina dropped a game to
Seton Hall in South Orange, N'j., 57
46. This year, the Pirates are off to a
rmicrK cMrf it 9-^
The team will hit the road for one
last time for a non-conference game in
Charlottesville, Va, on Jan. 1, 2005.
UVA will be the third ACC opponent
that Carolina will face this season. The
Cavaliers are 4-3 after dropping games
to Russia and Arizona State. In its
most recent win over Liberty, Virginia
had four scorers in double digits.
SEC play will start Jan. 6 when
USC hosts Mississippi State in
Columbia. The Bulldogs won last
year’s meeting by 10 and are off to a 4
3 start after just beating No. 21
Louisiana Tech in their last game.
The Gamecocks will face a tough
WINTER GAME
SCHEDULE
Dec. 14 — vs. Florida A&M.5
p.m.
Dec. 16 —vs. N.C. State, 7 p.m.
Dec. 18 — at Middle Tennessee
State, 8 p.m. i
Dec. 20 — vs. Birmingham
Southern.7 p.m.
Dec. 22 —vs. S.C. State, 6 p.m.
Dec. 29 — vs. Coastal Carolina,
7:45 p.m.
Jan. 2 —at Virginia, 12:30 p.m.
Dec. 5—vs. Mississippi, 7 p.m.
test in their next game on the road
against No. 13 Vanderbilt on Jan. 19.
Carolina also lost to the Commodores
last year by a score of 62-41.
Vanderbilt is undefeated at 6-0.
During the break, Carolina will
turn to its main bright spot,
sophomore Lauren Simms, to carry
the team. The Columbia native is the
team’s leading scorer with 72 points
on the year. The Gamecocks’ next
highest scorer has 33 total points.
From her guard position, Simms is
not only averaging 18 points per
game, but is also second on the team
with six steals.
Carolina will have to rally around
its sophomore sensation in order to
have a successful year. The team will,
look to get a jump on improving last
year’s 10-18 record by playing well
between semesters.
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